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The Independent Investigations Group has been examining the public claims of Carla Baron – a self-proclaimed "psychic detective" who has solved fifty cases in the past twenty years, or has solved no cases in the past three years, depending on whether you believe her or us.
According to her official website* , "Ms. Baron tirelessly dedicates herself to "honing" her skills in order to provide assistance to those individuals and organizations who seek "the truth"." Please note that the quotes around "the truth" are exactly as they appear on Carla's site.
*Her current (2012) website is now located here .
Baron claims to have worked on numerous cases, most of which involve either missing persons or homicides with no suspect. Most of the cases involve a victim who is young and female, and typically Baron is working directly with the family. We tracked every claim Baron has made publicly that we are aware of and contacted the official police investigator assigned to the case whenever possible. We have contacted media professionals who have done work with or about Baron and researched articles that refer to her. In some cases, we have also contacted friends and families of the victims.
We have also observed her techniques up close by attending two live seminars in which Baron appeared, on December 6, 2003, and March 20, 2004. At the first event, some IIG members received personalized readings from Baron, and based on this interaction we can confidently state that Baron is using "cold reading" — a conjurer's trick of simply making stuff up, but making it appear that you are producing specialized knowledge by supernatural means. All her predictions were broad and vague, and gave us no reason to believe that she had any paranormal abilities. In fact, one of our investigators was told that he would get a new job at which he will produce "a service or some kind of product."
While we were unable to get information on some of her claims, every case we investigated was either solved without Baron's involvement or remains unsolved. Either way, her claims of being a "psychic detective" are completely unsubstantiated.
Baron herself has characterized the role of a psychic in criminal investigations:
"Psychics don't solve cases. They assist in providing the unknown, the missing piece of the puzzle." 1
"[P]sychic flashbacks don't solve the cases, but they certainly add new layers of insight and information." 2
"[P]sychics are not meant to solve cases. They're meant to "help connect the dots." 3
"I don't think it's about the accuracy. I think it's about the assistance that I give." 4
But how can you assist people with inaccurate information? Doesn't providing the missing piece of the puzzle, or insight and information, or connecting the dots usually lead to a solution? Implicit in the claim of being a "psychic detective" is the claim that you provide accurate information that leads to the successful resolution of a mystery. Imagine if a police detective said, "police detectives don't actually solve the case, they just come up with ideas and hope for the best." Such a statement would not generate much confidence in police procedure, and rightly so.
Following are details on fourteen cases with which Baron has claimed some kind of involvement. They are in chronological order, by date of the victim's murder or initial disappearance. Explicit and upsetting details of violent crimes have been kept to a minimum, and the names of individuals who have been accused of these crimes but have not been identified by police as a suspect have been omitted.
The cases detailed are listed below. You can click on individual cases to jump directly to them, or scroll through the entire report.
35 years old at time of murder.
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
CRIME: Found murdered on June 12, 1994.
SUSPECT: Ex-husband O.J. Simpson – tried and acquitted.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Denise Brown, sister.
BARON'S CLAIM: Baron states in her publicity materials that she worked on the "O.J. Simpson Case." She has also said that she "did some channeling work" 5 on the case. When asked for specifics at a seminar on March 20, 2004, she said that she worked with the Brown family.
IIG'S FINDINGS: We contacted Nicole's sister, Denise Brown , the primary family spokesperson during the trials, and now an outspoken advocate for battered women and victims of violent crime. She states unequivocally, "I've never heard of this person," and adds that no one in her family has ever heard of her either . It seems clear that Baron's claim that she worked on the "O.J. Simpson Case" is baseless.
For more information: Nicole Brown Charitable Foundation
6 years old at time of murder.
LOCATION: Boulder, CO
CRIME: Found murdered on December 25, 1996
SUSPECTS: None.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: None.
INVESTIGATING OFFICER/AGENCY: Detective Tom Bennett, Boulder Colorado Police, is one of many investigating officials.
BARON'S CLAIM: Baron told a student newspaper that she worked on a case "like the JonBenet Ramsey. . . case ," 6 but could not state that she worked on the JonBenet Ramsey case specifically because it still "remains open." 7
IIG'S FINDINGS: The interviewer, Adam Smeltz, apparently insisted that she clarify the comment about JonBenet Ramsey, and she backed off. Interpreting this statement as a claim that she worked on the JonBenet Ramsey case, we contacted Detective Tom Bennett, who stated, "No psychic has provided any useful information," adding that he had never even heard of Carla Baron.
For more information: The JonBenet Ramsey Case on CNN
20 years old at time of murder.
LOCATION: Dell, AR
CRIME: Went missing June 15, 2000. Found murdered on June 19, 2000.
SUSPECT: None.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Susan Tusing, mother.
INVESTIGATING OFFICER/AGENCY: Detective Gary Etter, Craigshead County Police.
BARON'S CLAIM: In January of 2004, Susan Tusing contacted Carla Baron and received a telephone reading. During this conversation, Baron provided a name for the man Baron claims was the killer . 8 This is significant since Baron's claims are usually vague.
IIG'S FINDINGS: The investigation into the murder of Mandy Tusing had been going for years without resolution. Family members and police investigators are very frustrated at this point and willing to try anything, which may explain why Detective Etter was willing to talk to Carla Baron at Susan Tusing's request. The local media ran several stories on Baron's involvement when Detective Etter began communicating with her.
We talked to Detective Etter both before and after police interviewed the man fingered by Baron. After the interview, Detective Etter claims that there was "no way he could have done it. " Media coverage of the case and Baron's involvement stopped after Detective Etter cleared this man of all suspicion. Interestingly, this man was looked at years earlier, but the police didn't feel he was a viable suspect. They interviewed him recently only at the urging of Susan Tusing.
In our interview, Detective Etter made it sound like Baron produced a letter of the alphabet and that Susan Tusing then volunteered the name. However, Detective Etter specifically said that Baron's conversation with Susan Tusing was not a "cold reading." Without a transcript, we cannot say for sure.
Etter still has a positive attitude about Baron's involvement. He says that she helped garner publicity for the case, which is true. The local press paid little attention to the case until they could print "Mother of slain woman finds comfort from psychic." 9
For the most part, Detective Etter praised Baron, but he also opined that she wants to "gain media attention. . . ;" "she wants recognition" because "that's where you make your money." Nonetheless, he insists that Baron was "trying her best to help."
For more information: State to State Unsolved Crimes — Amanda Tusing Profile
TINA: 35 years old at time of disappearance.
BETHANY: 15 years old at time of disappearance.
LOCATION: Chesterfield, NH
CRIME: Missing since February 4, 2001, presumed dead.
SUSPECTS: None, but a "person of interest" was named.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Sharon Garry, Tina's sister and Bethany's aunt.
INVESTIGATING OFFICER/AGENCY: New Hampshire State Police.
BARON'S CLAIM: More than two years after the Sinclairs disappeared, Sharon Garry called Baron after seeing her on Court TV's "Psychic Detectives" (see more on this under " CINDY SONG "). In a reading given around July 2003, Baron said that Tina and Bethany were "likely the victims of an angry, impulsive act," and that their bodies were now somewhere "dark. " 10
IIG'S FINDINGS: On July 19, 2003, following Baron's instructions, Garry lead a search party to Mount Wantastiquet, where they combed an area that had already been thoroughly searched by police. The following month, they conducted another search. During both searches, Garry happened upon seemingly irrelevant clues. For example, she found a random sock and claimed that it was "unusual to be found in those areas." 11 She seems to imply that Baron's claims bore some legitimacy. Ms. Garry also claims to have found a bucket and a shovel "where a psychic said it would be." 12 However, the name of this psychic was not given.
The New Hampshire Attorney General had assigned Trooper Jayson S. Almstrom to be present during the search. Trooper Almstrom made it very clear that the police put "no weight into what Carla Baron had said." He says he was present in case the citizens searching the area uncovered something and to ensure their safety. However, many saw his presence as validating the search.
Baron has posted several articles about her involvement on her web site, and even issued a press release. Nevertheless, three years later, the disappearance of Tina and Bethany Sinclair remains a mystery.
For more information: New Hampshire State Police — Sinclair Profile
11 years old at time of disappearance.
LOCATION: Jackson, TN
CRIME: Missing since March 4, 2001
SUSPECT: Unidentified white female with "a disheveled and unkempt appearance." She may have attempted to enroll Bethany in a public school under a new name on 7/23/2001. 13
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Jonnie Carter, mother.
INVESTIGATING OFFICER/AGENCY: Lt. Mike Holt, Jackson Police.
BARON'S CLAIM: Baron claims that Bethany is in a "forestry area. . . on a country road off a main highway. . . in some sort of ravine. " 14
IIG'S FINDINGS: Jonnie Carter had a telephone reading from Baron in September 2003, and says that Baron "told me things about [Bethany's] personality and wit that she couldn't have known." 15
Lt. Mike Holt of the Jackson Police issued a general challenge to psychics: "Give me an address!" Lt. Holt says that the psychics call these moms with "a good sales pitch" and that "they ask you as much as they tell you;" that they are "good investigators" who pick up information from the subject and " pair it with what they pick out of the news media. "
Baron may have provided some comfort to Bethany's mother, but the case remains unsolved.
For more information: FBI Missing Person — Markowski Profile
RUTH: 37 years old at time of murder.
ALEXIS: 13 years old at time of murder.
LOCATION: Cathedral City, CA
CRIME: Found murdered March 2001. "The torsos of Tello's wife and daughter were found on March 16, 2001, in the Edom Hill area of Cathedral City, near a dump site. In April 2001, skeletal remains, later determined to be theirs, were discovered off Interstate 10 near Chiriaco Summit." 16
CULPRIT: Ruth's husband and Alexis's father, Rafael Tello – convicted of the murder in April 2002 and sentenced to fifty years in prison.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Unnamed (SEE BELOW).
INVESTIGATING OFFICER/AGENCY: Officer Nick Chapman, Cathedral City Police.
BARON'S CLAIM: On April 15, 2004, ABC ran a segment during their "Primetime Thursday" program contending that Carla Baron lead police to the skeletal remains of Ruth and Alexis. The segment contains videotape footage of Baron working with an unidentified police officer whose face was blurred out. She is seen describing the crime to the anonymous officer, saying, "I'm going to a factory – because I am seeing these tall like pillars, smoky things, smokestacks. . . They're probably a 40-mile drive from where they were first dumped." 17 She went on to say that the remains had been incinerated. The segment further contends that partial skeletal remains were found 38 miles south of the Edom Hill dump site where the torsos were found; 18 presumably this is the Chiriaco Summit area. The story further implies that Baron lead investigators to the site.
IIG'S FINDINGS: Not so, says the investigating officer Nick Chapman. Not only does he insist that, to his knowledge, Baron had nothing to do with the case, but he says that ABC News was "very persistent" in trying to get a quote from him concerning Baron's claims. Furthermore, according to Officer Chapman, Ruth and Alexis' relatives did not want this story on television and Primetime violated their specific instructions not to air it.
More importantly, it has been documented that the missing skeletal remains were found by hikers, not police or psychics. 19 Dallas skeptic Curtis Cameron mentions this in an open letter to ABC. He adds, "[Y]ou tried to make it appear that Ms. Baron got a "hit" by describing the smokestacks and saying that the body parts were incinerated. In the pictures you showed, the building didn't appear to have incinerator smokestacks, but things on the roof that looked like they could be ventilation, or possibly chimneys. And you glossed over the fact that the body parts weren't incinerated. So in light of this, how does this case support her abilities?" 20
As for who is depicted in the videotape aired on " Primetime Thursday " and who shot it, no one is identified. Michelle Webb, the producer of the segment, was unreachable, so we have no information on the source of the tape, nor whether it depicted actual events or was a staged recreation.
21 years old at time of disappearance.
LOCATION: Ferguson Township, PA (Penn State University)
CRIME: Missing since November 1, 2001, after attending a Halloween party.
SUSPECTS: None, but a "person of interest" was named.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Bansoon Song, Cindy's mother.
INVESTIGATING OFFICER/AGENCY: Detective Brian Sprinkle, Ferguson Township Police.
BARON'S CLAIM: Baron has received a great deal of exposure for her involvement in the investigation into the disappearance of Cindy Song. There is an episode of Court TV's "Psychic Detectives" devoted to it, as well as a segment of "ABC Primetime Thursday." Baron claimed to " see " Cindy being abducted by two men.
IIG'S FINDINGS: The reason this case has gotten so much press is that it is the only case where the police called in Baron and are actively involved with her. Detective Brian Sprinkle called Baron around May of 2002 at the behest of Penn State's "Paranormal Research Society." Det. Sprinkle then had several phone consultations with Baron, and met with her in person in June 2002 for a taping of Court TV's "Psychic Detectives." They met again in October 2003 for "ABC Primetime Thursday." It is worth noting that in the Court TV segment, recorded in June 2002, she said, "I think we're going to solve this. I think it's soon. I think we're coming to a completion here." 21
In the Court TV segment, Baron wanders the railroad tracks of Center County, Pennsylvania, but in the ABC segment, she leads Det. Sprinkle to a spot at which she says Cindy's body was dumped. In the ABC segment, Baron says that Cindy's body will be found somewhere with "rocks." 22 When Det. Sprinkle drove her to an area underneath railroad tracks, she said, "that's exactly what it looks like," 23 as if her psychic powers have been confirmed by an unbiased, third party. In the Court TV program, she goes to a park and says, "My God, it's just like I saw it," adding, "I was kind of surprised at
how muchthese details matched" (her emphasis). 24
The ABC segment does not show Baron having any actual success, though an unsubstantiated narration at the very end of the show says, "A few weeks after our search, Detective Sprinkle says an informant gave details, possibly linking Cindy's disappearance to the very area we searched." 25
We interviewed Detective Sprinkle on April 20, 2004, the Tuesday following the ABC program's airing, and he describes this quote from ABC differently. He believes that this quote is in reference to the State Police having an informant who believes that Cindy was abducted by two men. This would confirm Baron's claim that Cindy was abducted by two men, if it is accurate, but Sprinkle noted that "nothing of that information from the informants has been proved or disproved." Besides, Baron was given the name of two persons of interest by the police, so the claim that Cindy was abducted by two men is hardly a psychic prediction. Regardless, this has nothing to do with the location Baron pointed out. ABC's claim that Baron's information has been confirmed by a reliable source is completely unsubstantiated.
In their online article summarizing the segment, ABC reported that "an informant has given details possibly linking Song's disappearance and the area where Baron says she got the strongest vibes," 26 leaving out the reference to Det. Sprinkle. We attempted several times to contact the segment producer, Michelle Webb, to clarify this statement, but she did not return our calls.
Detective Sprinkle was very honest and open during our conversation. He stated that none of Baron's information has been confirmed by any other source. He said that he was impressed by Carla's track record, but was unable to cite any specific case she had worked on that impressed him. In the end, he praised her for "her dedication; the fact that she, you know, she took the case personally."
Cindy's mother, Bansoon Song, has been quoted in newspaper articles and television reports, but has said nothing on the record about Carla Baron.
For more information: FBI Missing Person — Song Profile
44 years old at time of death.
LOCATION: New York City, NY
CRIME: Missing since March 3, 2002. Body found in East River, May 6, 2002. Cause of death remains a mystery.
SUSPECT: None.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Dr. Alexander Aronov, husband.
BARON'S CLAIM: " [Svetlana] jumped into the East River to flee an obsessed kidnapper. " 27 Baron's publicity materials claim that this is among the cases she has worked on.
IIG'S FINDINGS: Baron apparently counseled Svetlana's widower, Dr. Alexander Aronov. We have been unable to further research this case, because Dr. Aronov has said so little, and we were unable to reach anyone at the NYPD who would comment.
Fortunately, Melanie Lefkowitz wrote a comprehensive article on the subject for New York
Newsdaydebunking Baron's claims. Since this article is posted on the website run by Svetlana's friends and family, we assume that they endorse Lefkowitz's point of view. The article quotes friends of Aronov decrying Baron, and the police denouncing her psychic vision as "far-fetched."
Baron's failure did not stop her from heavily publicizing her "work" on the case. In fact, at her Los Angeles seminars , she lists Svetlana Aronov after O.J. Simpson and Elizabeth Smart under "cases include."
For more information: Svetlana Aronov Official Site
14 years old at time of abduction.
LOCATION: Salt Lake City, UT
CRIME: Abducted June 6, 2002. Found alive March 13, 2003.
SUSPECT: Cult leader Brian David Mitchell – known to his followers as "Emmanuel" – and his wife Wanda Ilene Barzee. Both are currently in custody.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Ed Smart, father.
INVESTIGATING OFFICER/AGENCY: Salt Lake City Police.
BARON'S CLAIM: On March 13, 2003, Carla Baron appeared on Los Angeles radio station KOST's "The Mark & Kim Morning Show" to announce that she had correctly predicted that Elizabeth Smart was alive. 28 In addition, in this interview and in other statements she claims that Elizabeth's father, Ed Smart, received information directly from her, albeit via a tip hotline operator. Baron says that on July 9, 2002, she called the 1-800 hotline set up for information about Elizabeth's disappearance, spoke to a "Melinda," and gave her a reading. Baron further contends that Melinda passed the information directly to Ed Smart. Baron's publicity materials claim that this is among the cases she has worked on.
IIG'S FINDINGS: We could not find any evidence of this call. It is strictly Baron's assertion that she spoke to someone named Melinda. Nor have we been able to contact Ed Smart. However, he is quoted by a Florida television station as saying that "the family didn't get any valuable information from any psychics." 29
Baron has continually stated that she is the
onlypsychic who predicted that Elizabeth Smart was alive. Not so, says Salt Lake City Police Chief Executive Officer Lieutenant Chris Burbank. Lt. Burbank says that of the 18,000 specific tips the department received on Elizabeth Smart during the nine months she was missing, half of them — 9,000 — came from either proclaimed psychics or people using psychic-sounding language (e.g., "I had a dream," "I had a vision"). While Lt. Burbank could not accurately say how many of these people predicted Elizabeth Smart was alive, he knows there were a number of them, because many of them called back after Elizabeth was found to say, "I told you so." Lt. Burbank added that it is "more difficult to focus your efforts" with all these kinds of phone calls that require "many police hours" to field and follow up on. Needless to say, this leads to wasted police effort at taxpayer's expense.
For more information: Elizabeth Smart found alive — CNN
SARAH: 14 years old at time of murder.
PHILLIP: 11 years old at time of murder.
LOCATION: Concord, NH
CRIME: Missing since July 4, 2003, presumed dead.
CULPRIT: The children's father, Manuel Gehring, confessed to the murder on July 30, 2003, and committed suicide on February 19, 2004.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Terri Knight, mother.
INVESTIGATING OFFICER/AGENCY: Concord Police and FBI.
BARON'S CLAIM: Carla Baron claimed in a press release that the "bodies are likely to be near New Hampshire," 30 and adds, in the third person, "Ordinarily, Baron does not offer unsolicited advice, but is making an exception in this case because her vision had such clarity and force." 31
IIG'S FINDINGS: In fact, "near New Hampshire" is not a particularly clear or forceful statement. Her claim is that the bodies are " near " an area approximately 190 miles long by 70 miles wide and covering 9,351 square miles. Otherwise, this is typical of many of Baron's cases, in that it remains a big mystery. The children's bodies were never found, and Manuel Gehring has taken that location with him to the grave. What is atypical is that Baron admits that her involvement was completely unsolicited.
Neither the police, nor a family member or friend of the victims was working with Baron as of her December 6, 2003, seminar, when she claimed that she was "working on" the Gehring case.
This changed on May 20, 2004, when the children's mother, and Manuel's ex-wife, Terri Knight, contacted Carla Baron. 32 It is unclear if Baron produced any new information during this conversation, but Sarah and Phillip remain missing.
KATIE: 18 years old at time of disappearance.
JAYDEN: Less than one year old at time of disappearance.
LOCATION: Brattleboro, VT
CRIME: None. They were reported missing July 13, 2003, and found alive on August 19, 2003.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Kathy Kenney, mother.
INVESTIGATING OFFICER/AGENCY: Brattleboro police did a welfare check.
BARON'S CLAIM: Baron had been in touch with Katie's mother, Kathy, and consoled her with the knowledge that her daughter and grandson were alive. Baron: "Psychics aren't always harbingers of doom. . . I just told her what I saw." 33
Shortly after trying to capitalize on the return of Elizabeth Smart, claiming that she "got it right," Baron tried to reinforce this notion by saying that she "gets it right once again" 34 on Katie and Jayden Kenney.
IIG'S FINDINGS: In fact, no one actually involved with the case ever thought Katie and Jayden were dead. Captain Eugene Wrinn of the Brattleboro Police says that this was never a missing person's case. They wanted to do a "welfare check" on the two, since Kathy had lost touch with them. Capt. Wrinn stated that there was "no reason to believe that they were missing against their will."
Based on Captain Wrinn's interview and Baron's press release, it seems apparent the Kenney's were never missing at all; they were simply out of contact with the young woman – s mother. We can understand why a mother would be worried, but there was no "rescue" 35 here. The police located them, and got them in touch with Kathy.
25 years old at time of death.
LOCATION: Shelbyville, IN
CRIME: Went missing August 12, 2003. A body was found in a cornfield on March 10, 2004, and identified as Trevor Israel on March 29, 2004. He had committed suicide.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Lloyd Israel, father.
INVESTIGATING OFFICER/AGENCY: Detective Dave Tilford, Shelbyville Police.
BARON'S CLAIM: When Trevor Israel went missing, Lloyd Israel got in touch with Carla Baron, who told him that his son had committed suicide. Baron said that the body would be found "up a slight incline in a cornfield, with a wire fence and a telephone pole nearby." 36
IIG'S FINDINGS: Baron's description matches almost all of Indiana, a state that is 36,000 square miles in size. That didn't stop the Shelbyville News from reporting that Trevor's body was found "exactly" 37 where Baron said. On the ABC Primetime Thursday segment, they also stated the body was "exactly" 38 where Baron said.
Another thing that the Shelbyville News and the ABC account have in common is that they make it sound like there was big mystery. However, from the beginning, the police believed that the young man's body lay hidden in the cornfield.
The corn was six feet high during the search that took place on August 13-14, 2003, preventing both humans and hounds from navigating the field. A few months later, the whole area was covered in snow. In an objectively unfair piece of reporting, ABC showed a picture of the cornfield in March after the stalks had been razed and the snow had melted, and they said it was "hard to understand" 39 how the police could not find the body.
The truth is that Detective Dave Tilford didn't even know about Baron's "vision" until March 18, 204, eight days after he found Trevor's body. ABC correctly reported this, while the Shelbyville News claims that there was a second search conducted by the police based on Baron's information. 40 This does not fit into the time line given by Det. Tilford, and we do not know the source for the Shelbyville News claim. Baron did not lead investigators to the body, and in fact contributed nothing to the case.
But the story does not end there. The Associated Press reports that Baron "helped lead police to finding the body of a man who had committed suicide in a cornfield in the Midwest." 41 The Portsmouth-Herald 42 and the Caledonian-Record 43 reported the same thing verbatim. On that same day, the Boston Globe reports that Baron "led investigators directly to victims," 44 without specifying a case, and then on April 16, 2004, they reported, "She has aided numerous police departments in missing persons and homicide cases." 45 On May 20, 2004, the Eagle Tribune reported that " she recently helped find the remains of Trevor Israel, who had been missing for seven months, in a cornfield outside Indianapolis. " 46 All of these claims are patently false.
32 years old at time of disappearance.
LOCATION: San Antonio, TX
CRIME: Missing since January 16, 2004.
SUSPECTS: None.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Gabby Reyes, sister.
INVESTIGATING OFFICER/AGENCY: San Antonio Police.
BARON'S CLAIM: No specific information from Baron has become available.
IIG'S FINDINGS: Mari's sister, Gabby Reyes, contacted Baron after seeing her on ABC's Primetime Thursday segment. 47 Unfortunately, her actual reading was not available to us at the time of this report's publication. However, San Antonio news services reported that Baron "said some things that weren't public knowledge," 48 and "she gave me information that only I and my family knew." 49
Even more unfortunately, Mari is still missing.
For more information: http://members.cox.net/kelly_projectjason/index_files/page0005.htm
21 years old at time of disappearance.
LOCATION: Haverhill, NH
CRIME: Missing since February 9, 2004.
SUSPECTS: None.
FAMILY SPOKESPERSON/CONTACT: Fred Murray, father.
INVESTIGATING OFFICER/AGENCY: Lieutenant John Scarinza, New Hampshire State Police Lead Investigator.
BARON'S CLAIM: Maura "hitched a ride with 'a clean-cut looking man,'" 50 which is unlikely, since it is known that she earlier refused a ride from a bus driver. Baron further contends that "Clean-Cut Looking Man" was a serial killer, and that he buried Maura's body "in a sparsely wooded area." 51
IIG'S FINDINGS: The way the media reports it, Maura Murray had it all. She was a nursing student at University of Massachusetts at Amherst, a track star, and she had a boyfriend and a bright future. Then, one day she packed up all of her belongings and left school. Worse yet, she crashed her car at 3 o'clock in the morning, came home, withdrew money from her bank account, and the next day headed to Vermont. A bus driver spotted her on a remote road in New Hampshire and called the police. Maura was never seen again.
Maura's father, Fred Murray, contacted Baron sometime in March 2004. It is worth noting that Maura's mother rejects Baron help, saying simply "I don't believe her. . . I don't believe in [psychics] at all." 52 And Maura's boyfriend, Bill Rausch, has stated in an interview with the online support group, the Child Seek Network, "To involve additional assistance such as a psychic, I personally cannot fathom how that could be of help." 53 The Child Seek Network does not endorse the use of psychics in missing persons' cases.
In April 2004, Baron had a conversation with Lieutenant John Scarinza, on the prompting of Fred Murray. We have noticed that, with the major exception of Det. Brian Sprinkle, the police never initiate contact with or talk directly to Carla unless urged by a family member or friend of the victim. In any case, Lt. Scarinza told us, simply, "The information provided [by Baron] did not produce any new leads in the investigation as to why [Maura Murray] disappeared, or what happened to her."
For more information: http://www.spbowers.com/mauramissing.html
From the 14 cases that Carla Baron promotes as her best work, we can positively conclude that her claims of being a psychic detective are unsubstantiated. However, there are two alternate theories that are so widely promulgated that we feel we must address them as well.
Alternate Theory #1
Some say that the police do use psychics, but keep the whole affair secret. If so, the negative responses we got from the police detectives we interviewed could be discounted as covering up, jealousy, or the denials of what an anonymous Baron fan has called "an antiquated patriarchy."
But is this consistent with the behavior of police professionals? If you look at any major breakthrough in forensics, such as fingerprinting, DNA, or behavioral profiling, police openly praise these techniques and utilize them as soon as they are determined to be useful.
Are police secretive? When a case is still ongoing, it is often necessary to keep certain details about the crime from the public. There are several reasons for this practice. Withholding specific details can make it possible to determine if the same perpetrator is involved in similar, subsequent crimes. Also, some details are very grisly and not fit for public consumption. Finally, it's not unusual for innocent people to confess to the crime for reasons known only to them. Keeping some key details secret is a way of ferreting out false confessions.
However, it is not in the nature of police officers to be secretive about the actual solving of a case. Once the case is solved, there is usually a trial, and the investigators couldn't very well keep the use of a "psychic detective" a secret, given the transparent nature of our legal system.
Alternate Theory #2
Some may say that Baron provides "closure" to the friends and family members she counsels, or offers some kind of vague but very positive assistance. This idea is supported by the fact that so many of the grieving parties with whom she corresponds report on her favorably. If this argument were used to justify her "services," it would be foolhardy, perhaps even cruel, to focus on her failure to provide anything tangible to the investigation.
This theory, however, is completely refuted by the simple fact that Baron is not calling herself a grief counselor. She has no such credentials that we know of, and we maintain she may be doing more harm than good in this arena. Besides, how could she be providing closure when she hasn't brought anything to a close? As far as we can tell, her "assistance" consists of soothing language and nebulous affirmations. Surely it doesn't require psychic powers to provide a few kind words to the suffering.
Anyone who believes that Baron is some kind of humanitarian should consider this: she charges about fifty dollars per person for her seminars, and then two hundred dollars an hour for a personal reading. She attracts people to these events with claims of solving cases. She also needs publicity for her career as a television personality; she has appeared on several television shows as a psychic, and gets paid, just like any performer. So her psychic detective career serves as a publicity device.
Carla Baron herself issues press releases about many of the cases with which she caims involvement. This shows exactly how she uses these cases as a publicity device. Publicity has a cash value; that's why for-profit public relations firms exist. Baron's claim that she does not charge for missing persons cases may be technically true. However, she profits heavily from these activities with the publicity that they create for her, and she does widely promote herself.
IIG's Opinion
If you take a close look at all the cold cases currently in America, things certainly look bleak. But what about the other side of the coin? What about the solved cases? If you leave a fingerprint at the crime scene, we have the technology to find you. If you leave a drop of blood, a piece of skin, or a hair, we can find you. If a child is abducted in a town like Los Angeles, motorists in the area are alerted by "Amber Alerts" on our electronic billboards. Cable TV viewers are notified by a "crawl" on every channel displaying the type of car and a physical description of the suspect. Television shows viewed by millions are dedicated to finding missing children, and grieving families can support each other on internet sites. None of this existed just a few years ago; a missing person was pretty much a lost cause. This was a time when things were bleak.
Why do we have this powerful infrastructure for locating missing and abducted persons? Because we are basically a caring society. We have dedicated enormous amounts of our collective resources to protecting each other, and we do it quite well. Forensic science was developed out of compassion.
"Psychic Detectives" claim to have compassion, but they cannot produce the consistent results that science-based procedures do, so it's a hollow claim.
Unfortunately, forensic science cannot be utilized when the perpetrator leaves no clues behind, and that's the distressing situation faced by many of the family members profiled in this report. We do not have the answers for them, and we recognize that this is a central element of their grief – the lack of answers.
The only advice we're qualified to give to someone in that position is this: it would be very easy for someone to take advantage of your confusion and grief, but don't let them. This does nothing to honor the memory of your lost loved ones, and if they were here, they would want to protect you from this as well.
- Perry, Kelley Walker. "Psychic on target in discovery."
Shelbyville News17 March 2004. http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=27643&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=93&S=1
- Barlow, Daniel. "Psychic 'sees' Sinclair women's fate."
Brattleboro Reformer15 July 2003. Found only on Carla's web site.
- Chesier, Tajuana. "Reluctantly, missing girl's mom seeks out psychic."
Jackson Sun15 September 2003. Found only on Carla's web site.
- "Clues from Beyond."
ABC Primetime Thursday. KABC, Los Angeles. 15 April 2004. Produced by Michelle Webb.
- Interview with Carla Baron.
Child Seek Network21 June 2003. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/6/prweb70121.php
- Smeltz, Adam. "Psychic helping in search for Song."
Penn State Centre Daily23 May 2002. http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/3320768.htm
- Ibid.
- Simas, Melissa. "Amanda Tusing murder anniversary."
KAIT8.com14 June 2004. http://kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=1940542
- Hankins, Stephen. "Mother of slain woman finds comfort from psychic."
Jonesboro Sun11 January 2004. http://www.jonesborosun.com/archivedstory.asp?ID=7646
- Seitz, Stephen. "Psychic advises Sinclair family in search for mother, daughter."
Manchester Union Leader16 July 2003. Found only on Carla's web site.
- "Volunteers renew search for mother and daughter."
Concord Monitor21 July 2003. Found only on Carla's web site.
- "Searchers keep looking for clues."
Associated Press4 August 2003. http://p075.ezboard.com/fisthatso89415frm217.showMessage?topicID=35.topic
- Chesier, Tajuana. "Reluctantly, missing girl's mom seeks out psychic."
Jackson Sun15 September 2003. Found only on Carla's web site.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Mahr, Christine. "Killer to serve at least 50 years: Judge sentences man who pleaded guilty to murder, dismemberment of wife, daughter."
The Desert Sun6 April 2002. http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories/local/1018056962.shtml
- "Help from the other side: to find missing college student, 'psychic detective' enlisted."
ABC Primetime Thursdayweb page 15 April 2004. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Primetime/US/psychic_detective_040415.html
- Ibid.
- Mahr, Christine. "Hearing date moved for man accused of killing wife, daughter."
The Desert Sun12 December 2001. http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories/local/1008116573.shtml
- "Great letter exposing the errors of ABC'S Primetime Thursday," written by Curtis Cameron.
E-SKEPTIC #174 May 2004. http://mailman.efn.org/pipermail/skeptix/Week-of-Mon-20040503/000156.html
- "
Psychic Detectives – Pilot." Court TV February 2003.
- Ibid.
- "Clues from Beyond."
ABC Primetime Thursday. KABC, Los Angeles. 15 April 2004. Produced by Michelle Webb.
- "
Psychic Detectives – Pilot." Court TV February 2003.
- "Clues from Beyond."
ABC Primetime Thursday. KABC, Los Angeles. 15 April 2004. Produced by Michelle Webb.
- "Help from the other side: to find missing college student, 'psychic detective' enlisted."
ABC Primetime Thursdayweb page 15 April 2004. http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Primetime/US/psychic_detective_040415.html
- Lefkowitz, Melanie. "Sometimes cops look for psychic 'help' yet that 'help' in missing-persons cases often raises false hope."
New York Newsday28 June 2003. http://www.svetlanaaronov.com/articles/0628newsday.htm
- "
The Mark & Kim Morning Show." KOST 103.5 FM, Los Angeles. 13 March 2003.
- WPEC Press Release. 15 August 2003. http://www.wpecnews12.com/engine.pl? station=wpec&id=6062&template=pagesearch.html
- "Renowned nationally known psychic, Carla Baron, maintains 'the crosses are the key' in ongoing search for Gehring gravesites." prweb.com publicity release from Carla Baron. 9 October 2003. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/10/prweb83881.htm
- Ibid.
- Tuohy, Dan. " Psychics sense children may be buried in N.H. "
Eagle Tribune20 May 2004. http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20040520/NH_002.htm
- Seitz, Stephen. "Well-known psychic investigator, Carla Baron, gets it 'right' once again for Vermont missing mother, son." Unknown publication, recirculated as press release for Carla Baron, 23 August 2003. http://television.press-world.com/v/2230.html
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Perry, Kelley Walker. "Psychic on target in discovery."
Shelbyville News17 March 2004. http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=27643&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=93&S=1
- Ibid.
- "Clues from Beyond."
ABC Primetime Thursday. KABC, Los Angeles. 15 April 2004. Produced by Michelle Webb.
- Ibid.
- Perry, Kelley Walker. "Psychic on target in discovery."
Shelbyville News17 March 2004. http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=27643&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=93&S=1
- "Missing student's family turns to psychic."
Associated Press11 April 2004. http://angelsmissing.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=71
- "Psychic tells family that missing woman is dead."
Portsmouth Herald11 April 2004. http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/04112004/south_of/10095.htm
- Lindsley, Gary E. "Murray's family enlists help from psychic profiler."
Caledonian-Record10 April 2004. http://www.caledonianrecord.com/pages/top_news/story/85d290a6c
- DeMarco, Peter. "Missing student's kin skeptical of psychic."
Boston Globe11 April 2004. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/04/11/missing_students_kin_skeptical_of_psychic/
- DeMarco, Peter. "N.H. police consult psychic on missing woman?"
Boston Globe16 April 2004. Story unavailable without subscription.
- Davis, Vincent T. "Missing woman's case eyed by psychic."
San Antonio Express-News26 April 2004. Found only on Carla's web site.
- Tuohy, Dan. "Psychics sense children may be buried in N.H."
Eagle Tribune20 May 2004. http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20040520/NH_002.htm
- Ibid.
- Lozada, James. "Family calls psychic for closure."
News 9, San Antonio, Texas 27 April 2004. http://www.news9sanantonio.com/content/headlines/?SecID=2&ArID=10783
- DeMarco, Peter. "Missing student's kin skeptical of psychic."
Boston Globe11 April 2004. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/04/11/missing_students_kin_skeptical_of_psychic/
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Child Seek Network. 14 April 2004. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/4/prwebxml118375.php


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Situated, as one might guess, on the corner of NW 23rd and Hoyt, 23Hoyt is the latest brain child of restaurateur Bruce Carey and adored Portland chef, Christopher Israel. These two have collaborated in past lives on such famed city meal destinations as the former Zefiro, and the still-hopping cocktail and pan-Asian cuisine destination, Saucebox. And, they've both done it again. The marriage of Carey's eye for elegant, trendy venues (which also includes the Pearl District's Bluehour) that boast a touch of glamour with Israel's diverse expertise in simple, but deliciously desirable European-inspired cuisine, 23Hoyt delivers another sweet surprise to Portland's growing culinary sophistication.
Arriving fifteen minutes early for our 8:15pm reservation, the girls and I were promptly taken to our four-person, dimly lit table against the window that looked out onto Hoyt. The dinning room sits under a 20-ft ceiling that adds to the glamorous combination of white table clothes dressed with lit tea light candles in glass votive holders and a grey color scheme. Two tall ficus trees to the left of the space add a lively element that isn't seen a lot around town. In the middle of the C-shaped room sits the lit-up bar filled with cocktail-thirsty patrons. Though the bar is located in the middle of the restaurant, it doesn't feel out of place or too crowded. I walked passed the it twice to visit the ladies room - up a small flight of steps and to the right - and I never felt like I was interrupting the sip of a perfect martini.
So we swooned and ooohhed and ahhhed at the menu and the three of us each decided on dish. We, first, decided we would start off our feastful evening with a bottle of the Montsant Falet Rose. Served chilled, the reddish-pink wine delivered a burst of fruit that was surprisingly refreshing to start off with. We proceeded with our ordering. I chose the Insalata Caprese and the girls each had a Caesar salad. The caprese was gorgeous with bright red and yellow tomatoes, rich slices of homemade mozzarella, basil and a perfect drizzling of olive oil. It's a shame that summer is coming to an end and ripe tomatoes are almost a faint memory. These were perfect; fresh, juicy, sweet and with each bite I envisioned a bright blue Greek sky and the turquoise water of the Mediterranean. There was not a drop left on my plate. The Caesars were served in a classic style with full, long romaine leaves, Caesar dressing and sprinkled with grated parmesan and croutons. I didn't taste it I will admit. I love Caesar salads, but wanted to revel in the flavors I had just devoured with my caprese.
If time allows, I always love to view the menu of a restaurant online first to get an idea of what I'll want before I go. I was so excited about this dinner menu that after looking at it for two days, I was still unsure what I would have until our server nodded to me, signaling my turn. With choices that ranged from Linguine with blue mussels, saffron cream, garden tomatoes and basil chiffonade; Grilled Alaskan Coho salmon wrapped in grape leaves and served with grilled eggplant and a Catalan sauce of raisins, tomatoes, lemon, olive oil and toasted pinenuts; and Grilled Cascade Natural flat iron steak served with horseradish cream, roasted red and chiogga beets, watercress and red potatoes, what does one choose? I picked something in between and one that our server highly recommended, the Oregon rabbit hindquarter braised with white wine, mustard, cremini mushrooms, bacon lardons and pearl onions with pappardelle and rabbit sausage. The girls, staying consistent in their ordering of the same item, both chose the Roasted Carlton Farms pork tenderloin with Italian prune plums, red wine sauce, Yukon gold potato puree and sauteed carrots. Yum.
As we awaited our main course and sat relaxed in good conversation, my eyes scanned the room to see who, exactly, is coming to 23Hoyt. The crowd was very mixed and ranged from the mid-aged professionals on a first date to the trendy, savvy and sophisticated elders still interested in what's new and hot around town. And, of course, there were the thirty-somethings sipping a cocktail, or two, and sharing their latest adventures from the week. It is a diverse mix that somehow complement each other and work well together to create a balanced, but interesting, scene.
After what seemed to be a slightly longer wait than expected, our food arrived. Sitting in the center of pearl onions and bacon slices, my rabbit hindquarter looked simple and clean. The pork tenderloin looked absolutely heavenly with slices situated atop the potato puree with red wine sauce decorating the plate on one side. A very lean meat that is easily overcooked, the Oregon rabbit was done just right with a lot of flavor and still a bit of juice. I will admit, though, after trying the pork tenderloin, I was totally jealous. It was tender, succulent and rich with the red wine sauce and I'd wished I had been the one to sign up for it. All's well that ends well, I suppose, and I did finish off my feast with the black plum puff pastry tartelette with plum ice cream. It's a delectable, rectangular-shaped pastry with slices of plum baked on top. A scoop of the light berry colored ice cream was so sweet and tangy and made me feel like a grown-up kid reveling in a grown up dessert.
Any cons? Not really, except our table was a bit loud due to the fact that we were situated close to the kitchen and, trust me, they were hopping!
I will be back, to experience more items off the savory list of appetizers and entrees, to sip another bottle from the restaurant's incredibly extensive list of wines from around the world and, of course, to bask in my own plate of roasted pork tenderloin.
Go. And enjoy.

subset: commoncrawl


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By SAM HANANEL
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — After two years of getting pummeled in Wisconsin, Indiana and other battleground states, leaders of the nation's big labor unions were beaming on election night.
Labor's massive voter turnout effort played a major role in helping President Barack Obama win Ohio, Nevada and Wisconsin, according to exit polls, and its leaders are now looking for a more liberal, pro-union agenda from the White House.
"There are things the president can do, and we'll be expecting that leadership from President Obama," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told reporters after the election.
Topping labor's wish list — for now — is a push to raise taxes on wealthy Americans and discouraging Obama from agreeing to any deal with Republicans over the looming "fiscal cliff" that cuts into Social Security and Medicare.
But unions are also pressing for new measures that might help boost their sagging membership rolls. New investment in infrastructure would bring construction jobs for trade unions. Immigration reform — and a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented Latino immigrants — would create a vast new pool of potential union members. And new regulations could remove some obstacles to union organizing.
Business groups that have vigorously opposed efforts to help unions draw new members say they will keep playing defense.
"My primary concern is in the regulations," said Randel Johnson, vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for labor issues. "We are afraid that on employment issues, the administration will stay firmly to the left and follow the lead of the unions."
A new rule expected from the Labor Department would force companies to reveal relationships with so-called union-busting consulting companies even if the companies have no contact with workers. The National Labor Relations Board is expected to start work on a rule that would force businesses to turn over workers' phone numbers, emails and shift times to union organizers.
The Obama administration might even consider a plan that would give an advantage in bidding on government contracts to companies that offer workers a higher living wage and generous benefits.
Unlike four years ago, unions have not made passage of card-check legislation a centerpiece of their agenda. The long-stalled measure that would require companies to recognize a union once more than half its eligible employees signed union cards instead of putting the question to a secret-ballot vote went nowhere in Obama' first term, to the chagrin of many union activists.
Card check remains a dead end with Republicans in firm control of the House. Amy Dean, a former head of the AFL-CIO in California's Silicon Valley, said unions are being more realistic about what they can get.
"They are all about strengthening the right to organize within the confines of what's politically possible," Dean said.
Unions showed they still wield considerable political muscle, despite declining membership and having to spend millions fighting efforts in dozens of state legislatures to curb their bargaining rights or limit their political clout. About 11.8 percent of all workers belong to a union; in the private sector union membership is only 6.9 percent.
Exit polls show Obama won 58 percent of voters from union households, compared with 40 percent for Republican Mitt Romney. That margin rose to 60 percent in Ohio and 66 percent in Wisconsin, where 1 of every 5 voters comes from a union household.
"We did deliver those states," Trumka said. "Without organized labor, none of those would have been in the president's column."
Unions expected to spend big — more than $400 million — to help Obama and other union-friendly candidates at the federal, state and local levels. The country's largest public workers union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, says it spent about $100 million while the Service Employees International Union says it spent $85 million.
But labor's election success hinged in large part on its extensive ground game. Thousands of volunteers made millions of personal contacts with union and nonunion voters. Labor also took advantage of new rules on super-PACs, funneling at least $77 million to the groups, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
An analysis by the Sunlight Foundation, which tracks money in politics, found that unions and other Democratic-leaning groups were far more successful than outside conservative groups in targeting money toward winning House and Senate campaigns. The SEIU spent more than 70 percent of its funds on winners, for example, while Karl Rove's American Crossroads and its nonprofit affiliate had only a 6 percent success rate.
In addition to measures that may help increase union numbers, labor leaders are also expecting the Obama administration to issue more regulations targeting workplace safety. Proposed rules to protect workers from cancer-causing and lung-damaging silica, often found in the dust at construction sites and glass manufacturing operations, have languished at the White House for more than a year. The administration also has delayed new standards for combustible dust that can cause explosions.
Business groups have opposed the regulations, saying they overreach and would raise employers' costs by millions of dollars.
AP Polling Director Jennifer Agiesta also contributed to this report.


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Opening a Consignment Store or Resale Shop?
Our goal is to help you become successful!
Consignment Business is a free resource to help existing business owners or entrepreneurs with a desire to be successful in the Consignment or Resale Business. We have articles and books available on how to start a successful consignment business of any type, clothing consignment, furniture consignment, jewelry consignment or any other type of consignment or resale shop.
You don't have to be a member, attend any annual meetings or pay dues to utilize our resources. You can chat with other people interested in or perhaps already in the type of consignment store you are in or considering starting.
We have a number of resources available for free and for a small fee! There are books, software reviews, tips on point of sale systems, types of tags, where to find inventory, how to find the perfect location, negotiate a lease and the most effective ways to advertise your business.
Please look around our site it is a work in progress and we will be adding more information and resources as quickly as possible.
Articles - Tips - Videos
Below are a number of articles, tips and video links. We hope you will find these informative and helpful in starting your consignment or resale business. There are additional articles through out our site that are intended to help you Start a Consignment Store or Open a Resale Store.
Opening a Successful Consignment Store
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Real Estate Information
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|South Africa Expat Forum for Expats Living in South Africa The South Africa Expats forum is a great place to meet other Expats now living in South Africa. Join our Expat community and discuss all issues including living, working, kids, transportation, socialising, eating and buying houses in South Africa.
Possible to transfer to SA University from US University?
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To list and sell your products or services, get instant access to private messages, post links, larger avatars, promotional signatures and more for only $19/month.


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A three-alarm fire ripped through an apartment complex in New Carrollton on Monday afternoon, injuring two firefighters, destroying 11 apartments and causing residents in more than 30 others to lose utilities, according to the Prince George's County Fire and EMS Department.
In all, the blaze at the Sutton Walk complex caused an estimated $750,000 in damages, the fire department said.
Firefighters responded to the 5300 block of 85th Avenue about 1 p.m. for multiple 911 calls reporting a fire, and upon arrival found heavy flames showing from the top two floors of the apartment building, officials said.
The flames also extended into the attic area as firefighters battled to contain them, as more personnel arrived on the scene and others prepped as backup, officials said.
It took 50 firefighters half an hour to bring the fire under control, officials said.
Two firefighters who sustained minor burns while fighting the fire were taken to the burn center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, officials said.
At least 11 apartments are "uninhabitable," officials said, and as many as 43 were without utilities.
A malfunctioning natural gas stove in a second-story apartment has been blamed for the fire.
Latest Latest


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HM Magazine Turns 35
In 1985, Doug Van Pelt photocopied a letter-sized sheets of paper, bound them together, and handed them out in person on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. It's all digital now, but, along the way, Van Pelt stirred up quite a few waves, played some seriously heavy music, and made a few friends along the way. Here: A quick look back at the magazine's 35-year history with Van Pelt and new owner, David Stagg.Full Feature More from HM Magazine
Hope Through the Loss
Idle Threat's latest EP, 'Nothing is Broken for Good,' paints a serendipitous picture of what comes from hope in the future: 'The record is definitely about loss and hope through that loss.'Full Feature More from Idle Threat
Forward Under a Dying Sun
Most of these days, the sun rises and sets on a world that feels like it's dying. Across the pond, where Employed to Serve calls home, they're learning how to support their latest record a year into its release. HM contributor Andrew Voigt recently sat down with Justine Jones to learn more about the band, marrying your bandmates, and their outside shot at touring with Rammstein.Full Feature More from Employed to Serve
Evolution Beyond Dissonance
Two years since the release of Hands Like Houses' latest album, 'Anon,' the band should be on the road supporting the release. Instead, the band has leveraged their local presence, government help, and new platforms like Patreon to stay afloat in the COVID-age.Full Feature More from Hands Like Houses


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After completing this course you will be able to:
- Understand the basics of U.S. Copyright Law as it pertains to the creation and selling of creative works and how to register your creative works with the U.S. Copyright office
- Understand how the Digital Millennium Consumer Act helps you protect your creative works shared online
- Understand the preliminary steps of dealing with copyright infringement
- Identify potential legal issues when conducting business as a freelance artist
- Understand the anatomy of legally binding contracts
- Negotiate contracts as a freelance artist
- Understand the importance of a work-for-hire agreement and why they are essential to the freelance artist
- Negotiate work-for-hire agreements
- Understand and negotiate licensing agreements, artist-gallery agreements, and fine art commission agreements
- Identify when you are ready to set up a formal business entity and understand the tax and liability implications
- Understand the basics of an LLC, S Corp, and Corporation and how to choose the proper business entity
- Understand the Illinois laws relevant for art entrepreneurs and the City of Chicago licensing requirements and when a business license will be required
Presenter: Patrice N. Perkins, Principal Attorney at Creative Genius Law also works with organizations who serve creative entrepreneurs to facilitate programming and teaching all legal aspects of starting to build a creative business.
The series is funded in part by grants from The Coleman Foundation, the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Joan Mitchell Foundation, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency, as well as a CityArtsGrant from the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.
Survival Guide is produced by Chicago Artists Coalition for Chicago Artists Resource.


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A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
1743 - 1794
Historical Period:
The 18th Century
Condorcet was a mathematician, a philosophe, permanent secretary of the French Academy of Sciences (from 1776), and a politician during the French Revolution. He was active in a number of committees which drew up legislation during the Revolution (especially on public education and constitutional reform) but became a victim of Jacobin repression when the liberal Girondin group was expelled from the Convention.


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- Diablo Stone
- Item Level 20
- Binds to Blizzard account
- Use: Teaches you how to summon this companion.
The Diablo Stone item summons and dismisses a Mini Diablo, a demon Companion that follows you around, meaning it is a non-combat pet and will not aid you in battle.
This item is available only to people who bought the Collector's Edition of World of Warcraft.
You can obtain this pet by opening your gift box item (that you receive in the mail) and accepting the quest Welcome! which requires you to turn in the gift item to an NPC in exchange for a choice of three pet items, one of which is the Diablo Stone. The name of the gift box, NPC and quest zone is different depending on your chosen race.
- Merissa Stilwell at Goldshire for Humans
- Yori Crackhelm at Kharanos for Dwarves and Gnomes
- Orenthil Whisperwind at Dolanaar for Night Elves
- Jaeleil at Azure Watch for Draenei
- Magga in the Razor Hill for Orcs and Trolls
- Vorn Skyseer at Bloodhoof Village for Tauren
- Claire Willower at Brill for Undead
- Marsilla Dawnstar at the Falconwing Square for Blood Elves
The Mini Diablo is inspired by the title villain of Blizzard's Diablo series of games (the name is literal; it's a very tiny version of the Lord of Terror). As its idle animation, it will occasionally breathe fire.
It is possible for the two new races in the Burning Crusade expansion pack, the Draenei and Blood Elves to carry out the quest and obtain this item.
- See also: Zergling Leash, Panda Collar


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- Home
- All Products
- Lifting & Rigging
- Hooks & Attachments
- Turnbuckles
- 7/8"x12" Forged Turnbuckles - Hot Dipped Galvanized - Eye/Jaw (2/Pkg)
Note: The image displayed is a representation of the product. Product dimensions, finish, head type, and thread length may differ from picture. Products are guaranteed to meet the specification to which they are manufactured. Please email us with any questions.
7/8"x12" Forged Turnbuckles - Hot Dipped Galvanized - Eye/Jaw (2/Pkg)
Product Description
This eye/jaw turnbuckle design allows for quick adjustments of tension and length of wire ropes, cables, tie rods and other tensioning systems. Meets specifications FF-T-791b, Type 1, Form 1 - Class 8. Jaw ends through 5/8" use nut and bolt, sizes 3/4" and up use clevis/cotter pins for containment.
- A - Fitting Shank Diameter
- B - Body Take-Up Length
- C - Overall Length - Closed


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Date: Thursdays & Fridays, 6:00-7:30am
Location: Pavilion
The Breakfast Program, formerly known as the Caring Committee Feeding Program, is among Central Synagogue's longest ongoing social justice projects. Originally conceived and implemented by longtime congregant Nat Shapiro in 1983, the Breakfast Program was started in response to Mayor Koch's outcry for New York City's religious institutions to respond to an exploding homeless and hungry problem. Today, many clients of the Breakfast Program are working poor who greatly appreciate and regularly rely on the warm, nutritious start to their day.
Currently, our volunteers are helping to distribute pre-made sandwiches and other "to-go" items from the doors in front of the Pavilion entrance. Social distancing is observed and a contactless pickup system for the food has been arranged.
See more Social Justice events.
Your tax-deductible contribution to our Annual Yom Kippur Appeal will provide for Central's exceptional educational, community, and spiritual programs and help enrich the Jewish experience of our members and the community-at-large.


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Abstract and Keywords
Delwin M. Anderson (1916–2007) was director of the Social Work Service in the Veteran's Administration from 1964 to 1974. In his work he laid stress on recognizing the social components of illness and physical injury.
Keywords: rehabilitation, social environment, disability, Social Work Service, physical injury, family ties, community life
Access to the complete content on Encyclopedia of Social Work requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription. If you are a student or academic complete our librarian recommendation form to recommend the Oxford Research Encyclopedias to your librarians for an institutional free trial.
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I Don't Even Wear Jewelry Anymore: Lil Wayne On Why He Turned To Skateboarding, Inside His Miami Mansion, New Clothing Line, Own Dre Beats & More!
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Your baby's sleep - expert dossier
The characteristics of babies' sleep
Babies' sleep – just like adults' sleep – is divided into cycles, each one subdivided into different phases:
- Slow wave sleep: this is restorative sleep and helps the brain and body to rest. The body and eyes are immobile, breathing and heart rate are regular.
- Paradoxical sleep: your baby dreams, his eyes dart around. His body moves, his breathing is irregular and he may even smile a little.
However, although babies' sleep is made up of cycles not dissimilar to those of an adult's sleep, there are many differences:
- Paradoxical sleep is proportionally longer and the sleep cycles are shorter in babies than in adults: sleep cycles last 50 minutes at birth and then 70 minutes between 2 months and 3 years, as opposed to 90 to 120 minutes from the age of 10 until adulthood.
- And babies sleep much more than adults. On average, a baby sleeps 18 hours a day when they are 1 week old, 15h30 a day when they are 1-month-old and then 14 to 15 hours a day at 1-year-old. However, this can vary considerably from one child to another.
- Babies sleep during the night and have 2 to 3 laps over the first few months, sometimes even more during the first few weeks. By the end of the first year, children usually only have one nap in the early afternoon.
- When they are born, babies do not distinguish between day and night: they need several weeks – and sometimes several months – for their circadian rhythms to develop (biological rhythm of approximately 24 hours, divided into periods of being awake and periods of being asleep).
- Although some babies sleep through the night when they are very young, it is perfectly normal for them to wake up during the night up to the age of 3 months, and their need to feed is real: don't leave your baby to cry and feed him whenever he wants during the night – particularly if you are breastfeeding. You are not running the risk of delaying him getting into the habit of sleeping through the night.
- Babies who sleep well during the night can often have a more interrupted sleep between 9 and 12 months old as separation anxiety sets in. Again, it's better not to leave your baby to cry alone. Cuddle him and soothe his fears.


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Social networks: can robots violate user privacy?
ECM Plus +++ Recent news in the international media has revealed numerous Internet privacy concerns that definitely deserve attention and further investigation, which is why Geneva-based High-Tech Bridge decided to conduct a simple technical experiment to verify how the 50 largest social networks, web services and free emails systems respect – or indeed abuse – the privacy of their users.
According to High-Tech Bridge, the experiment and its results can be reproduced by anyone, as we tried to be as neutral and objective as possible. Continue reading


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In making Time Bandits, co-writer/director Terry Gilliam said that he wanted to make a film that was intelligent enough for children and exciting enough for adults, a clever reversal of standard Hollywood intent that is precisely what makes it one of the greatest of children's fantasy movies. Gilliam keeps his camera low and shoots everything from the point of view of a child, which lends visual and emotional substance to the film's child-centric (but never childish) celebration of the outlandish, the exaggerated, the scary, and the silly. It is no small surprise that Gilliam recruited several of his Monty Python colleagues to contribute to the film, including Michael Palin (who co-wrote the script with Gilliam and plays the recurring role of a doomed lovestruck goof) and John Cleese, who shows up for a brief cameo as a wonderfully clueless and overly positive Robin Hood.
The brilliance of Time Bandits and the reason it continues to speak so eloquently to open-minded viewers of any age is its radical sense of juxtaposition and boundary blurring (I can speak from direct experience, having watched it dozens of times on cable as a 10-year-old in the early 1980s and finding all new appreciation for it in my adult years without losing any of the sense of wonderment I enjoyed decades ago). At all times the film is engaged in a giddy game of purposeful misplacement, with an oddball assortment of physically, but never emotionally, diminutive characters literally jumping through the ages via a series of time portals that have been charted on a map designed by no less than the Supreme Being himself. The trick is that Gilliam and Palin aren't really interested in historical veracity (another reasons kids love it-they aren't being surreptitiously educated), but rather how they can derive humor and adventure from well-known historical figures, whether they be real (Ian Holm's Napoleon), mythical (Sean Connery's King Agamemnon), or somewhere in-between (Cleese's Robin Hood). The fact that the film makes no distinction between myth and reality is indicative of its fundamental playfulness, and when it finally steps into the realm of clear-cut fantasy once the characters enter the mythical "Time of Legends," it all feels of a piece. Horrifying ogres suffer with back problems and have to be tended to by their loving wives, ships turn out to be little more than the head accoutrement for a giant, and God himself is embodied by the legendary Ralph Richardson as a fussy, absent-minded old man.
At the film's heart is one hero, six antiheroes, and a villain. The hero is, of course, the child, an 11-year-old suburban boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock) who has a bright imagination, a love of history and fantasy, and two dull, materialistic parents (David Daker and Sheila Fearn) who are more interested in their kitchen appliances and plastic-covered furniture than their son. Kevin is essentially alone in his own family, which is why it is so easy for him to take up with the film's six antiheroes, a gaggle of dwarfs who were once employed by the Supreme Being to make shrubs and trees but now fancy themselves "international criminals" after having stolen the time map with the intent of using it to rob history's richest figures. Led by the supremely confident Randall (Davis Rappaport), each of the dwarfs has a unique personality that is usually in conflict with the others: Wally (Jack Purvis) is tough-talking and constantly challenging Randall's self-appointed authority; Fidgit (Kenny Baker) is sweet-natured and gentle; Strutter (Malcolm Dixon) is an older professorial type; Vermin (Tiny Ross) is distinguished by his propensity for eating anything; and Og (Mike Edmonds) is, as his name suggests, virtually monosyllabic. Importantly, while the dwarfs are all immensely likable, they are never in any way cuddly or even particularly nice; rather, they are consistently self-serving and self-aggrandizing, with their chief virtue being their honesty about it (unlike Kevin's parents, who just sink into a selfish stupor in front of the television every night).
With the map in hand, anything is possible, which gives Gilliam free license. The first half of the film is really a series of setpieces, with Kevin and the dwarfs robbing the height-obsessed Napoleon before losing all their riches to Robin Hood and his grimy less-than-merry men, after which they are temporarily separated when Kevin goes through the wrong portal and becomes the adopted son of King Agamemnon and then reunited aboard the Titanic just in time for its fatal voyage ("How was I to know we were gonna run right into an iceberg? It didn't say Get off before the iceberg' on the ticket!" Randall yells while they all cling to a plank in the middle of the frigid Atlantic). The second half of the story finds them in the Time of Legends seeking the supposed "Most Fabulous Object in the World," which is really just a ruse by Evil himself (David Warner) to ensnare them and steal the map so that he can remake the world in his own self-image, which means a lot of technology and a lack of nipples on men.
Like the best of Monty Python's films and television episodes, Time Bandits is a wildly fluctuating mixture of basic absurdity and sharp-edged social satire. Gilliam's obsession with the potentially overwhelming and dehumanizing nature of technology and materialism (which is particularly pronounced in Brazil, the film he was trying to get off the ground when he cooked up the idea for Time Bandits) is woven throughout the adventure in clever and sometimes bizarre ways, such as the manner in which he evokes the plastic coverings of Kevin's parents' furniture in the plastic Evil's minions wear over their clothes. Similarly, Evil's Fortress of Ultimate Darkness is absurdly huge, and the fact that it has no real point is the point: It is a monument to both Evil's runaway ego and his love of construction for its own sake--a grandiose, gothic corollary to shiny, but unnecessary kitchen appliances.
The film's production design is a constant marvel of both fine detail and wild imagination, especially given the fact that it was independently produced for around $5 million. The special effects are all decidedly old school in their analogue dependence on miniatures, forced perspective, and camera overcranking, which is precisely how Gilliam likes it. The effects, which reach back into the history of fantasy cinema and are generally quite convincing, are in line of the film's overall disdain for modernity and all its shallow promises. It's the fantasy and the fun that matter, and while Gilliam's coating of much of the film in dirt and grime would seem to be an indicator of weightier matters at hand, it is really just one more way of playing to the childhood love of the dirty and the messy.
Copyright 2014 James Kendrick
Thoughts? E-mail James Kendrick
All images copyright The Criterion Collection
Overall Rating: (4)
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If you're in the first 180 days of your contract you're eligible for an entry level discharge, where basically you just quit (If you qualify let me know and I'll explain further).If you somehow manage to become injured badly you can get a medical discharge (It's pretty hard to fake this one, it seems like if you try to injure yourself you won't get discharged out of spite.)
There's also such a thing as a "hardship discharge". One example of this would be say, if you're family were to suffer some tragic accident leaving you as the only person to care for your 5 year old brother. Because this hardship didn't exist prior to joining, and can't reasonably be resolved while you're in the marines, the corps could choose to release you from your contract to allow you to care for your brother. This one is also near impossible to fake, but should (God forbid) such a thing befall you, I would like you to know it exists.
Short of all of these things, the main way out is to finish your contract, and try to convince anyone you know back home who may be interested, not to join. I hope this has been helpful.
Safety and Peace